Comments on: New updates from BMW Product development – BMW GT 6, BMW Z2, BMW 3 Series Supersports

By: Πληθώρα νέων μοντέλων ετοιμάζει η BMW | AutoBlog

Πληθώρα νέων μοντέλων ετοιμάζει η BMW | AutoBlog — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:47:42 +0000

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By: Njave

Njave — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:43:06 +0000

Everyone these days is producing lot’s of models, they are no different. Just as the market demands, they wouldn’t make them if they didn’t have anyone to seel them to anyway :)

By: Doug

Doug — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:03:47 +0000

@Matski: Well, how many models is to many for a brand? Just considering the models alone, we’ve got 1, x1, z2, 3, x3, m3, z4, 5, 5GT, X5, M5, 6, X6, 6GT, M6, 7. You’ve got cars (1357), sports cars (24), SUV(1356)s, ok. But an in-between brand like the PAS confuses what each of these groups are. It’s really a different vision, a different customer and it doesn’t complement the overall offering. So I think PAS should be it’s own brand, like Mini.

Of course people know who makes what, but the point of a brand isn’t to delude people otherwise, I don’t think. Marketing/advertising might be, but not the brand per se. Everybody knows that Lexus is a Toyota and/or Nissan (who gives a crap?), but its just as differentiated from the mother brand as it is from the competition. It’s just… the car’s identity. It’s a cognitive grouping, by a set of common qualities; mess with the qualities, you’ve confused the grouping down to what’s still common. That’s the way I see it, anyway.

By: Matski

Matski — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:39:44 +0000

@Doug: I agree in part, what I dont agree with is having more brands with less models in each brand. Hasn’t worked for the US automakers and it’d fool nobody…. a Mini is still a BMW mini, and a Rolls Royce is still the BMW half of the BMW/VW division of Rolls Royce and Bently Motor Cars.!!! peoples perceoption is sharp enough to get cynical brand engineering… i.e. making a buick from a saturn.

What they need is a strong line-up of cars that outshine the competition in the field of driving dynamics. Small, medium, large.. each segment, every market, bish, bosh, bash, job done! they just got to get each product exctley right for the teeny-tiiny niche they claim for it!!

By: Doug

Doug — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:28:25 +0000

I’m starting to get the idea that BMW has lost its way. There is no clear identity anymore, they just try and introduce as many models as possible to be everything to everyone. How do you identify with a brand like that?

Worse, the packages have also lost their meaning. In sport packages alone you’ve got Sport, Performance, M-Sport, Supersport and also Tii and ///M. And there’s no real way to know exactly how they differentiate, because the real meat to BMW marketing is in the connotation.

What BMW needs is a separate brand for it’s SUV and PAS vehicles so as to not completely undermine “BMW”. Then they need fewer models. Then they need clear variants of those models, and clear packages that are understandable and well-differentiated. Then throw all other options into the a-la-carte bag and stop trying to “brand” new, poorly differentiated packages at the expense of customers’ comprehension.

By: Gord

Gord — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:20:45 +0000

The 6 series GT will have a rear door similar to the RX-8.

Why don’t they just make it a foor door coupe like the CLS as opposed to the tiny suicide doors on the RX-8 ?

By: L1ndja

L1ndja — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:05:36 +0000

No need for this supersports models.Maybe a 1series M version but nothing more not a supersports model of the 3 series.It would be enough to fine tune the 335i to 326hp like in the 7series.

By: Gragop

Gragop — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:45:23 +0000

@Matski:
Well, i wish instead of making specific models like a 3 supersports – why not incorporate a package? Something similar to the NISMO kit that came with the 350Z in it’s last two years of production.

I do think it’s silly that for one model line you’ll have 3 cars competing:

328 vs A4, 335 vs S4, M3 vs RS4. Yes, they technically do different things but they’re the same car underneath.

By: Matski

Matski — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:33:21 +0000

@Gragop: I guess it would give them a more directley comparable rival to A4 – S4 – RS4.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of new BMW performance models, but with the various sport packs and performance parts already available its even confusing me sometimes!! and I love all this s**t!!

By: Gragop

Gragop — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:52:06 +0000

@Matski: This tells you that M car prices are going to continue to sky rocket up if they feel the need to add a "sport" model between the standard 3 and M3.

By: Matski

Matski — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:53:01 +0000

Yeah I’m not sure where this supersport model is supposed to fit in… okay so they’ll make a 1-er supersport because there is no M version, but I assume there will still be an M3, so a supersport.. is there really a need?

By: Fuxl

Fuxl — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:52:56 +0000

M1 like? Or did you mean series 1 M like?

By: jkp

jkp — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:30:18 +0000

Again, BMW needs to drop the Chevrolet “Supersport” moniker.